Safe and Well Business Fire Safety - Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
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Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Keeping you and your business
Safe and Well
Business
Fire Safety
Contents Is your business safe from fire?
3 Is your business safe from fire?
A fire can be devastating for any business but particularly small
4 Preventing false fire alarm activations
businesses. Even a small fire may prevent a business from trading
5 Arson
for some time, which may have a significant knock-on effect that
6 Specific fire safety issues inspectors regularly identify
clients and customers go elsewhere. In many cases, the businesses
9 Post fire
never truly recover and cease trading within a year of reopening.
10 Examples
12 Useful contacts
This short guide is intended to aid small businesses in preventing
fires, reduce unwanted fire alarm activations, keep staff and
customers safe and illustrate a simple review of fire safety post
fire. We have provided some other fire safety advice, which may be
relevant to your business that is often overlooked.
Keeping compliant with fire safety legislation
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, places obligations
on to the responsible persons for all businesses. Every business
must carry out a fire risk assessment of their business. If the
business employs 5 or more people or a licence under an
enactment is in force on the premises, then the significant findings
from that fire risk assessment must be recorded and available on
site for inspection by an authorised Fire Safety Inspector.
Completing the following will aid in staying compliant with the fire
safety legislation:
• The fire risk assessment is intended to be a live document
and as such should be up to date and regularly reviewed. The
assessment must be reviewed if any changes are made to
the building, processes or use of the building or following an
incident.
• Staff fire safety training must be carried out during their induction
DISCLAIMER
Whilst care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this publication is and then regularly refreshed.
accurate at the time the information was produced, the information is intended to provide • Carry out regular testing and maintenance of all fire safety
general guidance and advice only. Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the other
authors of the information do not, therefore, claim that it is complete or that it necessarily equipment or systems. A fire logbook will aid in the management
applies in all individual circumstances. Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and of this testing.
the other authors of the information will not be held liable or responsible for any loss,
damage or inconvenience resulting from reliance on this information. However, this does • Compile a company fire safety policy that clearly defines the
not affect any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law. roles and responsibilities for fire safety across the company.
2 3
Preventing false fire alarm Arson
activations Simple arson prevention measures
Anti-social behaviour and small acts of
False fire alarm activations can cause arson such as rubbish or wheelie bin
disruption to your business. If they fires may be reduced by following these
become so frequent, staff members simple steps:
may become complacent and not react • Always try to keep wheelie bins away
as quickly as they should. The most from your building. If possible, keep
common causes of false alarms are: them in a lockable compound or
• Contaminants entering the detector locked shut at night.
head such as dust or fumes from • Keep the build up of combustible
cooking. rubbish to a minimum and any unwanted items such as pallets
• Accidental breakage of manual call should be suitably disposed of as soon as possible.
points. • Secluded, unsecure loading yards should be illuminated with
security lighting to try to discourage any antisocial behaviour.
Recording all false activations in a fire The cutting back of trees or bushes to make service yards
logbook will help business managers appear more exposed will aid in this area.
and alarm engineers identify issues or
faults in the alarm system. Businesses Involve and inform your staff
should check with their alarm engineer
the following if false activations are Staff are a big asset to your business
increasing: security arrangements. Developing
a vigilant workforce who support
• Is there a fault with a particular compliance with your fire safety and
detector head? business security procedures will help
• Is it the wrong type of detector head healthy business growth and general
for that particular location? operations. When closing for the day
• Is it the right type of detector head but make sure staff have procedures
badly positioned? for closing down and securing up
before leaving the building and site.
Make sure your staff know about fire
prevention and its importance to you, having a way of reporting
concerns will help improve operations.
4 5
Specific fire safety issues
inspectors regularly identify
The following topics are some of the common deficiencies that Fire
Safety Inspectors regularly find when auditing businesses.
Evacuations
Each business will be responsible for ensuring the
safe evacuation of all employees, contractors and
customers. Everyone should be able to evacuate to
a place of safety without the intervention of the Fire
Service. If your premises are accessible to disabled Open fire and wood burning stoves
persons, there should be suitable procedures in Open fire and wood burning stoves are becoming very popular
place to evacuate these people. To achieve this, extra in pubs and restaurants and if properly managed can provide
equipment, such as evacuation chairs may be required. a great feature for the business. The hazards with introducing
Any staff members that could be expected to use such naked flames into a premises needs to be thoroughly risk
equipment must be suitably trained in its use. assessed. The following points should be considered:
Licenced premises • Chimneys or flues need to be regularly swept by a HETAS
approved registered chimney sweep.
Any premises licenced by the local authority for the sale of alcohol
must have the significant finding from their fire risk assessment • If burning wood, only use properly seasoned timber to prevent
written down. The safe occupancy figure for the premises is excess clogging of the chimney with creosote and tar.
considered a significant finding and staff members should be made • Do not store logs directly next to the open fire or wood
aware of this to prevent any overcrowding. Pubs and restaurants burning stove.
often employ young people under the age of 18, such as kitchen • Only trained staff to place fuel on the fire. Signage should be
porters or glass collectors. These young people are considered displayed to discourage customers from putting anything onto
vulnerable due to lack of confidence, experience and life skills the fire.
and as such, a young person’s risk assessment must be carried
out prior to their employment. This assessment should highlight Compile an open fire procedure which details:
if they will come into contact • The time the last log get put on the fire to ensure it is well
with any hazardous substances burnt down before staff leave the building
or processes, what fire safety
• How should the fire be left at night, guarded, doors shut etc
training they have been given and
exactly what they are to do on • ➢ The safe way staff are to deal with the ash
discovering a fire or hearing the • ➢ Remind staff that no rubbish, paper or used tea-lights to be
fire alarm system. thrown onto the fire
6 7Liquid petroleum gas
Liquid petroleum gas cylinders (LPG) are
Post fire
very commonly used for patio heaters or
BBQ’s, but they can be very hazardous if Following any fire at a business premises, a full review of
not used responsibly. Before allowing this the incident and fire risk assessment should be carried out.
hazardous substance onto your premises, Investigating the cause of the fire and acting on the findings, may
its use should be carefully risk assessed. prevent another fire occurring. Not only should the cause of the fire
Only the minimum required amount of be reviewed but also the actions taken by employees, did they all
cylinders should be stored on site and evacuate quickly, was the evacuation procedure followed correctly?
cylinders should be properly disposed of when The review should establish if any fire safety systems worked
no longer required. For more guidance and information on LPG, effectively and confirm if your business needs to upgrade the fire
contact the Health & Safety Executive who enforce the use and safety provisions.
storage of hazardous substances.
If the fire at your premises resulted with the attendance of the Fire
Seasonal fire safety & Rescue Service, a Fire Safety Inspector may arrange to carry out
an audit of your business. This audit is not only aimed to check
At certain times of the year, the layout and stock levels at your
compliance but also to provide the best fire safety advice to your
business may change greatly. Managers must be aware that
business, from a qualified fire safety specialist. The Fire Safety
excess stock may increase the fire loading within the building.
Inspector will be able to pass on any information gathered from the
Temporary sales displays must not impede the ability of staff or
operational fire crews that attended the incident, both what went
customers to quickly and safely evacuate. Firefighting equipment
well and any areas of concern.
must be accessible and all fire exit signage must be clearly visible.
If temporary staff are employed to cover busy business periods,
they must receive basic fire safety training and have all fire safety
procedures explained to them.
8 9The following are two examples of incidents within small Example # 2
businesses, what happened and the outcomes implemented A retail store with a medium sized shop floor,
following a review of the incident. storeroom and loading area had a fire due
to a waste paper bin being placed too close
Example # 1 to a portable electric fire. The fire had been
A staff member of a small office building put their lunch in the left on after the shop closed for the day
microwave in a small kitchenette, left it unattended and it caught and a fire in the storeroom area developed.
fire. The microwave was destroyed by fire and smoke affected the Nobody was in the building at the time of
kitchenette. It set off the fire alarm by way of the fire but passers-by heard the fire alarm,
a smoke detector in the corridor, due to the smelt smoke and called the fire service.
kitchen door being wedged open. Staff were
slow to evacuate and the visitors book was Outcomes from a review of the incident:
not collected by a fire marshal. When the • Staff reminded to switch off all electrical
fire service attended, nobody could confirm items before they leave work each evening.
that all persons were accounted for and the
• Portable electric heaters should only be used with authorisation
building was clear.
of the store manager.
Outcomes from a review of the incident: • Only heaters with a built in timer which automatically switch off
to be used.
• All staff were reminded not to leave cooking unattended
• All electrical heaters were inspected, defective items removed
• All door wedges be removed from kitchens and suitable hold
and all of the rest were electrical tested. (PAT)
open devices linked to alarm system bought for fire doors, which
require to be held open. • A procedure for removing all combustible waste to the secure
external bins at the end of each day was implemented.
• Fire evacuation procedure reviewed, updated and sent to all staff
members. • A report for this incident along with findings and
recommendations will be sent to the managers of all other shops
• A fire drill to be carried out to check new procedure and ensure
within the company to ensure this situation is not replicated
improvements have been made.
across the company.
• A new system for logging in and out of the building to be
• Fire risk assessment reviewed and updated to reflect any
implemented to ensure all persons can be accounted for during
changes.
an evacuation.
• A report for this incident along with findings and
recommendations will be sent to the managers of all other For advice and guidance for commercial fire safety email:
offices within the company to ensure this situation is not firesafety@glosfire.gov.uk
replicated across the company.
• Fire risk assessment to be reviewed and updated to reflect
any changes.
10 11Useful contacts
Gloucestershire Fire and Websites
Rescue Service Headquarters
Tri-Service Building General advice on all aspects
Waterwells, Quedgeley of life in the United Kingdom
GL2 2AX www.direct.gov.uk
01452 888777
www.glosfire.gov.uk Health Advice
www.nhs.uk
British Red Cross
0344 871 11 11 Highway Code
www.gov.uk/highway-code
National Grid 24 hour Gas
Emergency Service Housing Advice
0800 111 999 https://www.gov.uk/browse/
housing/council-housing-
ChildLine association
0800 11 11
Citizens Advice Bureau
The Silver Line www.citizensadvice.org.uk
(Helpline for older people)
0800 4 70 80 90 Driving
(24 hours a day, every day) Driving and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA)
Severn Trent Water www.gov.co.uk/contact-the-dvla
0800 783 4444 (24hr emergency)
Gloucestershire Police
Gloucester Samaritans www.gloucestershire.police.uk
116 123 free from any phone
Other Formats: Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is commited to equality of
opportunity but must demonstrate value for money. All requests for this booklet and
publications to be reproduced in alternative formats and languages will be considered,
however due to cost implications we may seek other methods of communication.
0800 180 4140
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